Wednesday, 06 March 2013

Liverpool: Can Brendan Rodgers be trusted with money?

Brendan
Rodgers inherited a club in turmoil. His predecessors spent big on average
players; a fabulous model to ruin a club. Kenny Dalglish, Roy Hodgson and, to a lesser
extent, Rafa Benitez had been catastrophic in the transfer market and
inevitably faced the axe.

Starting
with a bloated and ineffective squad, the current manager is charged with
restoring Liverpool to the elite of English clubs, under obligation of using young,
inexpensive players. So his managing career at Anfield very much depends on how
much his recruits can contribute. We have already seen what wasting the club’s
money will result in, so how does Brendan Rodgers fare?

Here is look
at the senior squad members Brendan Rodgers has sought out for overhaul of the
club.

Nuri Sahin

In 2011,
one of the most coveted midfielders in Europe never arrived at Santiago
Bernabeu. The Sahin that probed, passed and performed to an exemplary standard
in Dortmund’s Bundesliga triumph was replaced by an ill-prepared doppelganger
that could never convince Mourinho.

Shunned out of Madrid by the Special One, Liverpool and Rodgers collected the
Turk in the hopes of capturing that fleeting Bundesliga form.

Arriving short of match fitness, he picked up a small knock. Physically, and,
in all certainty, psychologically, this false start meant he was never in a
position to stake his claim and prove his worth, despite a false dawn with a tremendous
double against West Brom.

Supplanting
Gerrard and Allen in the midfield proved a task that broke the Turk’s spirit. Circumstance
conspired against him and Sahin's spell in Merseyside will represent nothing more
than a passing memory.

Transfer Grade: 3/10

Joe Allen

The former
Swansea midfield maestro shared a cab with his manager in the move up from
Wales during the summer. But fans immediately fretted the high transfer fee was
a repeat of the Jordan Henderson nightmare.

Claiming
several Man-of-the-Match awards to start his Anfield days may have eased some fears.
But before fully convincing, his form eventually suffered when he became
overused and exhausted covering for the absence of Lucas.

Right or
wrong, Joe Allen also has to fight a certain mindset of what attributes are
needed for a midfielder in this league. Without a cannon shot or lung-bursting marauding
runs from deep, the player is much maligned. But this is a country that loves and
admires Xavi, but habitually under-appreciates the domestic talents of Scholes,
Carrick, and Allen.

Transfer Grade: 6/10

Fabio Borini

The young Italian
has been guilty of some dreadful finishing in a Red shirt so far, especially during
that disastrous and embarrassing hour against Oldham.

But he shouldn’t
be written off just yet. He was a hit in Serie A, and was a senior international
at only twenty years old. Unfortunately he has been plagued with relentless
injuries thus far in his Reds career; including a broken foot, and currently a severe
shoulder injury.

His work-rate
is non-stop and one can envision him as the replacement for Dirk Kuyt.

Transfer Grade: 5/10

Oussama Assaidi

Recruited
from obscurity to… well, equivalent levels of obscurity, hidden away on the
Liverpool bench. Looks a good waste of 3 million pounds.

Transfer grade: 1/10

Daniel Sturridge

Long before
they snapped up Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool tied up a deal for the English
striker. At a price of just £12 million, Rodgers was able to sign a 23-year-old
international with a point to prove.

Sturridge
has long claimed he is suited for a central striking role and has now gotten the
chance at Anfield. Instantly hitting sensational form; scoring in his first
three games for the club. Proving that his mind might finally be in the right
place to ensure that he fulfills his obvious potential.

Transfer Grade: 7/10

Philippe Coutinho

The
versatile Brazilian forward was a surprise late January arrival from
Internazionale. The 20-year-old attacker looks capable of playing either off
the front man or in one of the wide positions. Epitomizing the type of player
Brendan Rodgers is bringing to Anfield – slightly built, quick, technically skillful
and very young.

His pace
and trickery already looks to have complemented Suarez and Sturridge superbly. Getting
off to a flying start with a goal and flashes of skill in the 5-0 demolition of
Swansea last month, followed by just tormenting the poor Wigan defenders during
the Reds 4-0 rout.

Transfer Grade: 7/10

Rodgers’
signings seem to make the grade. He has been proactive in his search for
players to overhaul the Liverpool squad. Ambitious loan signing Nuri Sahin may
not have worked, but it was absolutely the right gamble to make. And almost all
the other players recruited are exceptionally young and have shown flashes of
their potential. So if it is the beginning of long Liverpool careers for most
of them, then Rodgers has been economic and successful.

It is right
to applaud the arrivals, as these young players can only seem to grow on
already impressive beginnings at Anfield. Perhaps there can be a little disappointment
at the failure to address depth in key areas. Full-back and centre-back are in desperate
need of reinforcements.

Calling all Liverpool fans: Do you agree with Dave's assessments? Whatever your views, we'd love to hear from you.

We also have a community on Google+. Come and join us at Squarefootball and get involved!

Comments

Liverpool: Can Brendan Rodgers be trusted with money?

Brendan
Rodgers inherited a club in turmoil. His predecessors spent big on average
players; a fabulous model to ruin a club. Kenny Dalglish, Roy Hodgson and, to a lesser
extent, Rafa Benitez had been catastrophic in the transfer market and
inevitably faced the axe.

Starting
with a bloated and ineffective squad, the current manager is charged with
restoring Liverpool to the elite of English clubs, under obligation of using young,
inexpensive players. So his managing career at Anfield very much depends on how
much his recruits can contribute. We have already seen what wasting the club’s
money will result in, so how does Brendan Rodgers fare?

Here is look
at the senior squad members Brendan Rodgers has sought out for overhaul of the
club.

Nuri Sahin

In 2011,
one of the most coveted midfielders in Europe never arrived at Santiago
Bernabeu. The Sahin that probed, passed and performed to an exemplary standard
in Dortmund’s Bundesliga triumph was replaced by an ill-prepared doppelganger
that could never convince Mourinho.

Shunned out of Madrid by the Special One, Liverpool and Rodgers collected the
Turk in the hopes of capturing that fleeting Bundesliga form.

Arriving short of match fitness, he picked up a small knock. Physically, and,
in all certainty, psychologically, this false start meant he was never in a
position to stake his claim and prove his worth, despite a false dawn with a tremendous
double against West Brom.

Supplanting
Gerrard and Allen in the midfield proved a task that broke the Turk’s spirit. Circumstance
conspired against him and Sahin's spell in Merseyside will represent nothing more
than a passing memory.

Transfer Grade: 3/10

Joe Allen

The former
Swansea midfield maestro shared a cab with his manager in the move up from
Wales during the summer. But fans immediately fretted the high transfer fee was
a repeat of the Jordan Henderson nightmare.

Claiming
several Man-of-the-Match awards to start his Anfield days may have eased some fears.
But before fully convincing, his form eventually suffered when he became
overused and exhausted covering for the absence of Lucas.

Right or
wrong, Joe Allen also has to fight a certain mindset of what attributes are
needed for a midfielder in this league. Without a cannon shot or lung-bursting marauding
runs from deep, the player is much maligned. But this is a country that loves and
admires Xavi, but habitually under-appreciates the domestic talents of Scholes,
Carrick, and Allen.

Transfer Grade: 6/10

Fabio Borini

The young Italian
has been guilty of some dreadful finishing in a Red shirt so far, especially during
that disastrous and embarrassing hour against Oldham.

But he shouldn’t
be written off just yet. He was a hit in Serie A, and was a senior international
at only twenty years old. Unfortunately he has been plagued with relentless
injuries thus far in his Reds career; including a broken foot, and currently a severe
shoulder injury.

His work-rate
is non-stop and one can envision him as the replacement for Dirk Kuyt.

Transfer Grade: 5/10

Oussama Assaidi

Recruited
from obscurity to… well, equivalent levels of obscurity, hidden away on the
Liverpool bench. Looks a good waste of 3 million pounds.

Transfer grade: 1/10

Daniel Sturridge

Long before
they snapped up Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool tied up a deal for the English
striker. At a price of just £12 million, Rodgers was able to sign a 23-year-old
international with a point to prove.

Sturridge
has long claimed he is suited for a central striking role and has now gotten the
chance at Anfield. Instantly hitting sensational form; scoring in his first
three games for the club. Proving that his mind might finally be in the right
place to ensure that he fulfills his obvious potential.

Transfer Grade: 7/10

Philippe Coutinho

The
versatile Brazilian forward was a surprise late January arrival from
Internazionale. The 20-year-old attacker looks capable of playing either off
the front man or in one of the wide positions. Epitomizing the type of player
Brendan Rodgers is bringing to Anfield – slightly built, quick, technically skillful
and very young.

His pace
and trickery already looks to have complemented Suarez and Sturridge superbly. Getting
off to a flying start with a goal and flashes of skill in the 5-0 demolition of
Swansea last month, followed by just tormenting the poor Wigan defenders during
the Reds 4-0 rout.

Transfer Grade: 7/10

Rodgers’
signings seem to make the grade. He has been proactive in his search for
players to overhaul the Liverpool squad. Ambitious loan signing Nuri Sahin may
not have worked, but it was absolutely the right gamble to make. And almost all
the other players recruited are exceptionally young and have shown flashes of
their potential. So if it is the beginning of long Liverpool careers for most
of them, then Rodgers has been economic and successful.

It is right
to applaud the arrivals, as these young players can only seem to grow on
already impressive beginnings at Anfield. Perhaps there can be a little disappointment
at the failure to address depth in key areas. Full-back and centre-back are in desperate
need of reinforcements.

Calling all Liverpool fans: Do you agree with Dave's assessments? Whatever your views, we'd love to hear from you.

We also have a community on Google+. Come and join us at Squarefootball and get involved!